Superman

One night in the early 80's I was walking with my friends on the upper west side of Manhattan when I suddenly saw a familiar face walking quickly and carrying the Sunday New York Times. I double took the way you do when you think you saw someone you know and then I noticed it was someone I knew. Although, much to my naive teenage feelings of owning the world, the person I saw didnt know who the hell I was and I think I actually scared him. "Hey, thats Superman." I blurted out to my friends loud enough for him to hear. "And your a jerk." Scowled the man of steel. At first I was in shock; he looked more like Clark Kent then Superman; then I was angry; who is he to call me a jerk! then, a couple of hours later, I understood. Here was a man walking with a newspaper on a saturday night; clearly trying to disappear into the New York City life where no one bothers you if your famous, (they ussually just smile or nod) and here I was speaking loudly and annoucing his presence. Throughout the years I have told the story of how Superman saw right through me and called me a jerk. he was right; I was a jerk. many years later I heard the bulletin on 1010 WINS in New York. Superman was hurt in a horse accident and was not expected to survive. Later it was reported he would survive but would be a quadripolegic. It was unbelievable; superman...unable to be super...it was a quick reminder to all of us, "jerks" of just how vulnerable we all are. But Christopher Reeve was a bigger and better man then Superman. Superman did his good deeds and then turned away and hid behind glasses and a nerdy haircut. Christopher Reeve was quickly surrounded by friends...friends who took it upon themselves to be there for him. Not just when he was super, but when he was the best of all his characters...Human Being. His wife is every mans dream of a wife; there for you through thick and thin; holding you when you cant stop shaking and giving you the will to live when all you want to do is die. Superman had nothing on Christopher Reeve. Christopher Reeve swore that he would walk again. Christopher Reeve swore that he would stay in shape and breath on his own. He did. Imagine, a star the magnitude of Mr. Reeve, totally unable to move; going to capital hill; using a tube to help him breath and then speaking in a voice louder then Pavarotti's; "I represent nearly 400,000 spinal cord-injured Americans and millions more around the world who now have a legitimate reason to believe that the day will come when they will rise out of these wheelchairs. Scientists are successfully exploring one of the last great mysteries of medicine, the frontier of inner space, the diseases of the brain and the central nervous system." His voice was stronger then a speeding bullet, stronger then a racing train...today when we are all in a postion where we feel weakened and unable to even take our next step...we will look up into the sky and not see a bird, a plane or superman...we will see a man standing up from his chair and walking home.

Another preview "That Old 66 Chevy"

That Old 66 Chevy

Preview from "Collection of Words" by Freddy S. Zalta

There is no beauty that is equal to the beauty of a woman. The smile that can heal you; the sun glistening off of her as she throws her hair back; the heart she surrenders to you…her lips… one night as you wander the house unable to sleep; thinking about the morning and what it will bring you...more bills, less money... you hear a cry coming from upstairs. You walk quickly and you come to you baby’s room. You look down into the crib and she smiles…you smile and you return to your bed; you lay awake and you listen to the rain falling outside and you smile. Your wife turns towards you and smiles; you lay there hypnotized by the turn of her lips and the light that emanates from her mouth… You smile…you sleep. All is Ok. When She Smiles. The earliest memory I have is of being a child of around 5 or 6 years old. I was running around our apartment and I fell and got hurt. I began to cry and cry, my brothers tried to console me by promising me lots of things that I liked at the time. My sister promised me a yodel. Nothing worked; nothing stopped me from crying, until I saw her smile. My mother came into the room and smiled at me, hugged me and suddenly everything was all right. When she smiles, my wounds suddenly heal. When I was ten years old my parents sent me to summer camp. At first I was nervous because I did not know anyone who was going to that camp. On the first day, I swear I remember this as if it were yesterday; I saw her smile. Danielle was her name and she was my first love. She was standing with her group and she was laughing and talking. She had dark blonde hair, a crooked smile and soft brown eyes. From that day on I was inspired to come to camp everyday. I never did work up the nerve to speak to her, although I did offer her a piece of gum once, which she took and quickly walked away. But I still remember her smile, some twenty years later. I was fourteen years old and she loved Bob Dylan. Brown hair, brown eyes and dark skin. I carried her books home from school more then once and I loved to watch her smile. Sixteen years old and many smiles later, I found myself on stage in front of a crowd. So many people staring right at me, but I can only see one pair of eyes. I was scared up there at first until I saw her smiling that smile. Sometimes even now, when I’m on stage in real life, I see her smile and I’m at ease. There have been a lot of tears fallen from my face and I’ve tasted her tear drops as well; but there comes a time when even a smile cant stop the pain and that’s when you know that its time to move on. They say the sun always comes out after the rain and that the long winter will always come to an end. Just like a lonely man finds a new friend to help him smile. One night while walking along the river searching for some answers and a reason to smile. I caught a glimpse of a shooting star and I knew it was time to live again. Phone calls and long dinners lead to a lifetime of smiles and a woman I can call my best friend. When I saw her smile, my heart began to beat again. One night, after the type of day at work where you question everything, I walked into my daughter’s room. I stood above her as she slept in her crib. I put my finger in her hand and I saw her smile… And the answers I’d been searching for came to me in the shape of a smile.